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Crew member of the Audi Revolut F1® Team pushing the car back into the garage
29 March 2026

That was the Grand Prix in Japan

Hulkenberg climbs from P19 to P11, Bortoleto finishes P13 after sustained midfield battles.

Measured recovery shapes the race in Suzuka

Audi Revolut F1® Team narrowly missed out on points at the Japanese Grand Prix, with race pace keeping the team in contention throughout the Suzuka race. Nico Hulkenberg recovered from 19th on the grid to finish 11th, closing to just over one second from the final points-paying position. The remaining laps were not enough to mount an attack.

Hulkenberg’s race was defined by early progress. He gained positions in the opening phase and maintained consistent pace across his stints. As the race developed, the final point came into range, but the opportunity to attempt a decisive move did not materialise before the chequered flag.

On the other side of the garage, Gabriel Bortoleto spent the race in close midfield traffic. Multiple on-track battles shaped his afternoon, with positions shifting through strategy and race evolution. He crossed the line in 13th.

The race outcome reinforces the picture from the opening phase of the season. Audi Revolut F1® Team operates around the points positions and sustains competitive pace over longer runs. Margins remain tight, and small differences determine whether that pace converts into points.

With three races completed, Formula 1® enters a break until the Miami Grand Prix in May. Audi Revolut F1® Team will use this period to translate early-season learnings into further development of the overall package. The baseline is established. The next step will define how consistently it converts into points.

R03 | Suzuka | Race

NICO HULKENBERG

P11

1:33.796

+52.280

Nico Hulkenberg climbs into the car in the Audi Revolut F1® Team garage.

R03 | Suzuka | Race

GABRIEL BORTOLETO

P13

1:35.123

+59.078

Gabriel Bortoleto sits in car number 5 in the Audi Revolut F1® Team garage while mechanics prepare the car beneath a ceiling panel labeled with his name.

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Gallery
That was the Race
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands trackside in a white jacket while Nico Hulkenberg adjusts his earpiece nearby and team staff prepare on the grid.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team engineer leans toward two open laptops on the grid, reviewing data with the Ferrari pit building and track activity behind him.
Team member of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands on the grass beside the track with a headset on, looking upward while holding a long measuring wand near the Aramco bridge.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands at trackside in front of the grandstand while other team staff line up nearby before the start.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands behind crew members on the grid, framed between team staff in black racewear.
Audi Revolut F1® Team crew members gather behind the car on the Suzuka grid, with Mattia Binotto visible among the group as they watch preparations unfold.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team engineer in a team cap and headset stands near the car on the grid, speaking into his radio with Aramco signage blurred in the background.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team speaks with two Sky Sport presenters on the Suzuka grid, holding position in front of the grandstands during a pre race interview.
Audi Revolut F1® Team member James Key wearing headphones stands at the side of the grid in profile, watching the track with a crowded grandstand in the background.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stand on the Suzuka grid in white team jackets, looking across the track with the grandstands blurred behind them.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team mechanic wearing sunglasses and a headband leans over the car on the grid, with the rear light and blurred pit lane activity behind him.
Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi Revolut F1® Team is shown in close side profile wearing a black balaclava beside the cockpit before heading out.
Video
Nico on the key takeaways from the Japanese Grand Prix
Video
Mattia on a race showing potential but leaving work to be done

“The race leaves us with mixed feelings, with both positives and areas to improve.

On the positive side, having both cars start the race and complete the full distance is an important step forward for the team. Reliability was strong throughout, and operationally the race was well executed, including consistent pit stops without issues.

Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stand on the Suzuka grid in white team jackets, looking across the track with the grandstands blurred behind them.

Mattia Binotto

The pace of the car was also encouraging. We have shown that we can compete around the top ten, and Nico’s race in particular demonstrated that, fighting well through the field and making overtakes on some quick cars to finish just outside the points. It underlines the underlying potential of the package. Gabriel had a strong weekend, but today we didn’t put him in the conditions to express all his potential: he would have probably been up there on the cusp of the points with Nico, based on the good job he did yesterday and in practice.

Mattia Binotto

At the same time, there are clear areas where we need to improve. Our start performance is not yet where it needs to be, and we lost significant ground on the opening lap, which ultimately nullified the good work done yesterday and compromised the race for both drivers. More broadly, drivability and energy management remain key areas of focus. As a young package, which is what we are, we still have a lot to learn and refine.

Mattia Binotto

We now have some time ahead of us to analyse the data and continue developing the car. While we did not achieve the points we were targeting, there are solid foundations in place, and our focus is on coming back stronger in the next phase of the season.

“We had good pace and a realistic shot at scoring points, but our race was compromised by a poor start."

Improving our race starts is something we need to focus on as a team over the upcoming weeks. I lost several positions on the opening lap, from P13 to P19, which made things difficult from there. Being stuck in traffic for most of the race limited our opportunities to make progress.

Nico Hulkenberg of Audi Revolut F1® Team sits smiling in the garage in racewear, framed by hanging garage hoses and Audi branding in the background.

Nico Hulkenberg

These cars are still quite tricky to race with the current energy management and overtaking dynamics. Moves can be made, but you end up vulnerable immediately after, so it’s a bit of a trade-off at the moment.

On the positive side, it was valuable to complete the race and gather a lot of data. There’s plenty for us to look at and improve, and with a month until Miami, we have time to analyse everything and come back stronger.

"The race was quite okay overall"

The Safety Car worked in our favour, as I had decided to stay out longer to avoid being stuck behind other cars on harder compounds; our pace wasn't too bad, although I had some struggles on the straights.

Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi Revolut F1® Team adjusts his earpieces on the grid with the Suzuka grandstands blurred in the background.

Gabriel Bortoleto

What mainly affected us today, unfortunately, was the start: we've been knowing since the first race of the season it's something we need to work on, to try and put things back in place and not compromise the job we do on Saturday.

“Now, with almost five weeks away from racing, we'll keep our head down and make the most out of this time to work together across our bases and improve our car in order to come back in Miami in May in a better place."

Japanese GP

That was the Suzuka race.

Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands trackside in a white jacket while Nico Hulkenberg adjusts his earpiece nearby and team staff prepare on the grid.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team engineer leans toward two open laptops on the grid, reviewing data with the Ferrari pit building and track activity behind him.
Team member of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands on the grass beside the track with a headset on, looking upward while holding a long measuring wand near the Aramco bridge.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands at trackside in front of the grandstand while other team staff line up nearby before the start.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands behind crew members on the grid, framed between team staff in black racewear.
Audi Revolut F1® Team crew members gather behind the car on the Suzuka grid, with Mattia Binotto visible among the group as they watch preparations unfold.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team engineer in a team cap and headset stands near the car on the grid, speaking into his radio with Aramco signage blurred in the background.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team speaks with two Sky Sport presenters on the Suzuka grid, holding position in front of the grandstands during a pre race interview.
Audi Revolut F1® Team member James Key wearing headphones stands at the side of the grid in profile, watching the track with a crowded grandstand in the background.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stand on the Suzuka grid in white team jackets, looking across the track with the grandstands blurred behind them.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team mechanic wearing sunglasses and a headband leans over the car on the grid, with the rear light and blurred pit lane activity behind him.
Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi Revolut F1® Team is shown in close side profile wearing a black balaclava beside the cockpit before heading out.
Several Audi Revolut F1® Team crew members push the car along the Suzuka grid, with one mechanic leading at the front and grandstands full of spectators behind them.
A crew member from Audi Revolut F1® Team leans over the car on the grid in black and white, with blurred team activity in the background.
A focused Audi Revolut F1® Team crew member wearing a headset walks ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto’s car as the team moves along the grid.
Audi Revolut F1® Team crew members push Gabriel Bortoleto’s car along the grid beneath the Aramco signage, with one mechanic in sharp focus in the foreground.
Gabriel Bortoleto sits in his Audi Revolut F1® Team car in the garage, seen through the cockpit and blurred team members, with his helmet visible behind the halo.
An empty Suzuka start finish straight stretches toward an Aramco bridge, with grandstands on both sides and a helicopter high above the circuit.
Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi Revolut F1® Team car sits at the garage exit under the 27 Nico Hulkenberg nameplate while crew members watch from the shadows behind.
Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi Revolut F1® Team car waits at the garage exit beneath a sign marked with his name and number 27, shown in black and white.
Mattia Binotto of Audi Revolut F1® Team stands with his hands behind his back outside the garage, photographed in black and white with the team branding behind him.
A helmeted Audi Revolut F1® Team Gabriel Bortoleto fastens his helmet strap in the garage while team staff stand nearby in the background.
An Audi Revolut F1® Team crew member stands in the garage wearing a headset beside the white team wall, with other staff and the car visible deeper in the bay.
Nico Hulkenberg of Audi Revolut F1® Team sits smiling in the garage in racewear, framed by hanging garage hoses and Audi branding in the background.
Nico Hulkenberg drives the Audi Revolut F1® Team car along the edge of the circuit in a high angle trackside shot at Suzuka.
Rear view of an Audi Revolut F1® Team car sweeping through a fast right hand corner at Suzuka during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Gabriel Bortoleto drives the Audi Revolut F1® Team car through traffic during the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a group of cars through a Suzuka corner.

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